中藥協迴應活熊取膽：熊看起來很舒服

BEIJING - A Chinese medicine professional denied claims that the practice of extracting bear bile is cruel and promised to give media a chance to visit the country's bear farms.
北京：中國中醫藥協會日前召開媒體溝通會，就目前備受輿論關注的“活熊取膽”做出迴應，否認活熊取膽很殘忍的說法，並承諾可以協助媒體參觀對公衆封閉的養熊場。

The extraction of bear bile for medicinal purposes has met opposition from animal rights activists in recent years. Opponents say the bears are subjected to crude surgery that leaves permanent wounds in their abdominal walls and gall bladders, causing serious diseases and even death.
近些年來，用於醫療用途的活熊取膽招致了動物權利保護人士的強烈反對。反對者稱這些熊遭受的殘忍取膽手術，將對腹壁和膽囊造成永久性傷害，造成嚴重的疾病甚至死亡。

The protest became increasingly intense in past weeks after a pharmaceutical company in Fujian province that makes medicine from bear bile filed for approval by the Growth Enterprise Board to be listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.
活熊取膽抗議浪潮在過去的幾周愈發激烈，這主要是因爲在2月1日證監會公告的一批排隊上市企業的名單，從事活熊取膽的福建藥企歸真堂就赫然在列。

The company, Guizhentang Pharmaceuticals, is expected to use the funds raised by the initial public offering (IPO) to expand the size of its farm and the number of its bears, media reported.
據媒體報道，歸真堂藥業計劃通過IPO籌股來集資，擴大養熊場的規模增加養殖熊的數量。

Fang Shuting, head of the China Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), said there is a great misunderstanding among the media and the public about the process of extracting bear bile.
中國中藥協會會長房書亭表示，媒體和工作對活熊取膽的過程有相當大的誤解。

"Such cruel practices happened more than 20 years ago," he said at a news conference on Thursday afternoon.
在週四下午召開的新聞發佈會上他表示，這種殘忍的方式只在20多年前採用過。

"The process of extracting bear bile now only takes about 10 seconds. During that short period, the black bear feels no pain or any strange sensations, and can play and eat as usual," he said.
“現在取熊膽的過程只要10秒鐘，在這樣短暫的瞬間，黑熊不會感受到任何痛苦或異感，還能如常玩耍進食。”

"Based on what I saw on the farms, the bears look very comfortable after the extraction."
“根據我在養熊場的觀察，那些熊在取膽的過程中看起來很舒服。